The Political Culture of Monks in Khong chai District, Kalasin Province

Phra Natthapong Thammasat, Asst. Prof. Dr. Vinai Poncharoen

Abstract

This article has the objective for studying the political cultures of monks and factors that contributed to the political cultures of monks. This qualitative research had studied about concepts, theories concerning  political cultures and related researches. The data were collected by in-depth interviews with informants in a total of 20 monks and lay people were divided into 16 priests and 4 lay people and analyzed by descriptive  analysis. In the forms of political cultures of monks in Khong Chai District, Kalasin Province, the research results found that the monks in Khong Chai District, Kalasin Province had subject-participant political culture. This can be explained by the political attitudes and behaviors of the monks in the same social context with different political ideas. Some of the monks had an understanding and interests in politics. They also thought that monks should get involved in politics as much as possible, especially in matters related to religion. This demonstrated a participatory political culture. Nonetheless, there were monks who considered that the direct involvement of monks in politics was inappropriate because it is not a duty of monks. They were not interested in politics due to their subject political culture. When considered the data from all monks who were informants, the result found that the monks in Khong Chai District had their behaviors in accordance with subject political culture rather than participatory political culture insignificantly. In part of the factors that contributed to political cultures of monks in Khong Chai District, Kalasin Province, the research results found that the factors of social and political institutes, especially religious institutes, affected political behavior socialization of monks dramatically because they had to be obedient to the rules of Sangha administration. Although the monks wanted to get involved in politics, they had to restrict their roles to be appropriate to the orders of governing clergy. Other factors including political socialization process factors, media factors and historical and socio-economic factors were reinforcing factors that encouraged monks to behave attentively to politics.